Study Shows Association Between Gut Microbes and Brain Structure in People With IBS

| Newsline

A new study by researchers at UCLA has revealed two key findings for people with irritable bowel syndrome about the relationship between the microorganisms that live in the gut and the brain. For people with IBS research shows for the first time that there is an association between the gut microbiota and the brain regions involved in the processing of sensory information from their bodies. The results suggest that signals generated by the brain can influence the composition of microbes residing in the intestine and that the chemicals in the gut can shape the human brain’s structure. Additionally, the researchers gained insight into the connections among childhood trauma, brain development and the composition of the gut microbiome.